*baby’s right hand amputated
By; BAYO AKAMO, Ibadan
A 31year old man is now in trouble over an alleged assault on his 2 months old baby boy, which led to the amputation of the baby’s right hand from the shoulder.
The father, Confidence Amatobi is said to be at large presently, having escaped from the community where he was arrested earlier.
Already, the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) lmo State chapter, National Human Rights Commission Imo State and Other CSOs have called on the state government and Commissioner of Police in the state to arrest and prosecute the 31-year of man identified as Confidence Amatobi who hails from Amurie in Isu local government area of the state.
The Chairperson of NAWOJ Imo State, Dr Dorothy Nnaji who on behalf of the association, visited the baby, identified as Miracle at the Federal Medical Center Owerri, in a statement, frowned at the 31 years old man’s act, describing it as beastly.
Dr Nnaji in the statement, wondered how a father could assault his harmless two months old baby, because he was allegedly crying while he repeatedly hit the baby with a plastic hanger to stop him from crying, saying the incident is heartbreaking.
In their separate remarks, the State Coordinator National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Mrs Ukachi Ukah and Mrs Onyekachi Chikere condemned the actions of Amatobi and demanded for justice for the little boy whose hand has been amputated.
Mother of the two months old baby boy, Ms Favour Chikwe who hails from Idemili Anambra State while narrating the incident, said that it all started on Thursday through the early hours of Friday October 7, 2022, when she left the baby with his father to use the convenience after which she heard the baby crying uncontrollably and she rushed back to know why he was crying only for her to notice that the right hand of her two months old baby was already swollen and his bone allegedly broken by his father.
According to the baby’s mother, when she inquired why he (the father) used hanger to beat the baby, he replied that he was disturbing him with his cry while he was sleeping.
“Upon noticing that he has broken the baby’s hand, he used sticks and rubber bands to bind the broken bones together. when l confronted him about what he did, he locked us in the room, to prevent me from telling people about his wicked deed or seek for help. He also collected my phone from me so that I will not call the neighbors”, she said
Favour added that she managed to find her way out of the house two days after the incident and informed their neighbors about what happened to her baby and they helped her to take the baby to hospitals in the community that refused to treat the baby before she took him to Federal Medical Center Owerri.
The mother of the baby boy then called on the State Government, National Human Rights commission, Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) and other Civil Society Organizations to help get justice for her son whose only crime was to cry as a two (2) months old baby.
